Yellow arrows and turning on red

Explanation

Yellow arrows

• A flashing yellow arrow: you may turn, but only after yielding to pedestrians and oncoming traffic.
• A steady yellow light or arrow: your right of way is ending.

Red lights and arrows

A red light or arrow means your right of way has ended. If the light turns red while you are already in the middle of the intersection, finish your turn once oncoming traffic has stopped.

Right turn on red (when allowed): come to a full stop, make sure no vehicles or pedestrians are in or about to enter your path, check that there is no “No Turn on Red” sign, and use the correct lane.

Left turn on red: only from a one-way street onto a one-way street, with the same checks — full stop, clear path, no “No Turn on Red” sign, correct lanes.

Example

You are stopped at a red light on a one-way street. The cross street is also one-way, flowing to your left, and there is no “No Turn on Red” sign. After a full stop, and when no vehicles or pedestrians are in your path, you may turn left from the correct lane. If you were on a two-way street, you would have to wait for green.

Common mistake

Rolling through a right turn on red without stopping. The turn is allowed only after a full stop, and never where a “No Turn on Red” sign is posted.

What the manual says

A yellow flashing arrow for a turning movement means that you may proceed with the turn only after you have yielded the right of way to pedestrians and oncoming traffic.

To turn right through an intersection with a red light or arrow, when permissible, you must come to a full stop, check to make sure that there are no vehicles and pedestrians in the path of your turn or about to enter the path of your turn, check that there is not a “No Turn on Red” sign and use the correct lane.

You may turn left through an intersection with a red light or arrow if you are turning from a one-way street onto a one-way street.